A judge granted a defense request to change the venue, moving the case to Nueces County, where jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Nueces County officials are preparing for an influx of visitors and heightened security as the first criminal trial tied to the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde begins next week in Corpus Christi.
Former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police officer Adrian Gonzales was indicted last year on 29 felony counts of abandoning or endangering a child in connection with the May 24, 2022, mass shooting that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Prosecutors allege Gonzales failed to act despite hearing gunshots and receiving information about the shooter’s location inside Robb Elementary School.
A judge granted a defense request to change the venue, moving the case to Nueces County, where jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday at the Nueces County Courthouse.
Nueces County Sheriff J.C. Hooper said his office has been coordinating with multiple agencies to ensure safety and order during the proceedings.
He said the sheriff’s office has been working with the Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Texas Rangers and the Corpus Christi Police Department to prepare for increased security needs.
Hooper said the first week of the trial will help officials gauge the size and makeup of crowds expected at the courthouse.
“I think the first week is really going to be a feeling out,” Hooper said. “We are going to find out just how much media, visitors and how many family members from Uvalde — just what kind of crowd situations we are going to have here in the courthouse.”
Hooper advised anyone with business at the Nueces County Courthouse next week to expect delays and be patient as deputies manage security screenings and crowd flow.
The trial is the first criminal case connected to the Uvalde school shooting to move forward. 3NEWS will continue to follow the proceedings as jury selection begins Monday.